All posts for the month April, 2014

For the past few years, Marvel has been producing a number of very high quality comic book films. Wheather it started with the first X-Men or Iron Man movie is subject to a small debate. For me, I believe they had a plan from both. In fact, I believe they have at least three strands going very much like the comics themselves.

This year, Marvel is hitting the big screen with four strands, each one pushing the universe just that touch further. The first of these is Captain America : The Winter Soldier,the second in this series. This movie picks up a short time after the first Avengers with Captain America working for Shield and learning of the new World he has been thrust into. The opening scene shows our hero ‘jogging’ around a Washington land mark, passing others at ease. It is of course all part of the set up to the movie as well we know.

The movie quickly moves apace, yet it does not appear to miss anything in the telling of it’s story. The balance is possibly the best of all the recent Marvel movies. You have a number of well known characters, a few new ones and a really well designed plot. That is due in large parts to the huge story lines available from the comic books. Yet Marvel, for the most part, seems to be able to transfer those comic stories into first class film scripts. Given some of these stories span maybe 10 to 20 comics, it shows the great care and planning that is going into each one. With only one minor issue recently, IronMan 3 and the treatment of a certain villain, Marvel is showing how comic movies can be made.

The 2-diamentional paper characters have come to life in a very substantial way, so much so that a whole new audience may never have seen the Marvel comic universe before these movies started. It broke box office records, hit the number one spot with ease and will ensure at least one more Captain America movie.

As for the movie itself, spoiler alerts for anyone who has not seen the adverts or watched the films, yet.

Captain America, it is wonderfully crafted. The action is well designed, the script has just the right amount of twists and the supporting cast does do just that, support the movie. I did have a good idea of what this movie was about given that I have read the comics but seeing it is different to reading it. The plot unfolds and Steve Rogers (Captain America himself) feels even more out of time, even more betrayed than before. He has to take sides again and has no idea who he can turn to. He finds one man who has no special powers, just an ordinary man who he has to bring into this now complex plot.

There is an unexpected death but in comic books does that really ever happen? Well you would have to watch the movie to see. There are villains and this time they are well written and given proper time. You do have to watch until the very end of this film and I mean the very end. Marvel now has the habit of putting two extras in. Nick Fury makes another appearance, along with a couple of other recurring characters giving both scope and a feel of continuation to these films. They are linked just like the comics and again can be seen without really watching all the rest. Their appeal is certainly not slowing down, neither is the speed at which the films are being released.

I will happily watch this film again and add it to my growing list of Marvel movies. They are beating DC hands down and so far DC don’t seem to know what to do next. Apart from the Batman movies, the rest of DC’s attempts have been missing something each time. With another Spiderman, the movie of the year for me X-Men Days of Future Past and the new Guardians movie, Marvel is just capturing more and more of this market.

This morning I managed to write a short poem in 140 characters (actually less). Now I know that many haiku’s can be written in 140 characters but this was a quick 4 line poem. So I decided to post it here as a challenge. It’s just a bit of fun to try. Why did I write this? Well the washing machine we have makes a darn tune when it finishes and it does remind me of what the late great Douglas Adams might be thinking. Remember Marvin? This washing machine is just to cheerful to make sure you know it’s done. Hence the poem. So here it is enjoy and see;

Sometimes the old ones are the best ones and so I have re-worked an old blog. Sometimes a new audience is just waiting around the internet corner and it’s always good to go back.

This one is from a trip to Canada many years ago, however I find it interesting to say the least. If I go back, they might not let me in but what the heck.

Anyway here it is, Good Cop, Bad Cop on a boarder crossing.

Enjoy.

Good Cop, Bad Cop on a boarder crossing

By

Mark O’Donnell

Thursday 14th June 2007

I hate flying. Not a correct statement, but a statement all the less. What I hate is the trapped boredom. Fixed in place, stuck, no computer, no remote, and no freedom.
Ok so it gets you there quickly, fine. Then you land, then you grab your bags, then you stand in queue. Then you meet customs.
8 hours of flying followed by 10 minutes of grilling if your lucky. Only if.

The green card, your one and only chance to impress that customs officer. And of course you always find the good cop, bad cop next to each other.
First time, forgot to sign the back of the card. Well very sorry says I. The blank reply. ‘You wont give an apology. You will correct it. Go back over there.” He pointed back to beyond the line.

The thought crossed my mind we would have to go back to Manchester. A quick fix, signed and dated, then look for the good cop.
Thank whatever god of travel you like, but good cop was right next to bad. A smile, at last, “Welcome to the USA.” Or welcome back for some. Finally allowed to step past that line, only to meet the next pair.

Customs round two. Bags down, coats off, jumper off, shoes off and still I ended up bleeping. It’s the belt. Back you go belt off try again. Almost stripped but finally allowed to step past that line. But no, this time the good cop pulls us over. From my bag they produce two water bottles.
What deadly danger did this Manchester airport water pose this great country? Cute they maybe, but travel any further. No chance.

So finally, well for this airport any ways, we stepped past that line, that magical myth and onwards into well just onwards really.